AERIAL FUNGAL ISOLATES IN THE DEGRADATION OF CONGO RED AND METHYL ORANGE DYES
Keywords:
fungi, degradation, congo red, methyl orange, dyesAbstract
The degradation of synthetic dyes, particularly Congo Red and Methyl Orange. poses significant environmental challenges due to the persistence of these chemicals in industrial wastewater. This study aimed to isolate and identify fungal species capable of degrading Congo Red and Methyl Orange at varying concentrations, with a focus on the biodegradation potential of Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus flavus. The fungi were isolated from soil samples and cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA), Their ability to degrade the dye was assessed at different concentrations (0.1%, 0.01%, and 0.001 %) by measuring the zone of clearance over a period of 10 days. The results indicated that Aspergillus flavus demonstrated a high degradation efficiency across all concentrations of Congo Red at 0.1%, 0.01 % and 0.001 %, with a high degradation of 20%, 21% and 22% respectively by day ten whereas Aspergillus niger showed a higher degradation of Methyl Orange at 0.01% and 0.001% concentration with an average of 18% degradation by day ten but was less efficient at higher concentrations. Fusarium oxysporum showed moderate degradation across both dyes at 14% to 17% respectively. These findings suggest that Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger are promising candidates for the biodegradation of high-concentration dye effluents, while Fusarium oxysporum may be more suitable for environments with moderate dye concentrations. This study contributes to the growing body of research on fungal bioremediation, offering practical applications for the treatment of industrial wastewater. Further research is recommended to scale these findings to industrial levels and explore the toxicity of the by-products generated during the degradation process.
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